Locals Only

An app lets us in on secret Malibu beaches

Full disclosure: The prettiest beach in Malibu is hidden behind a nondescript gate off the Pacific Coast Highway. It doesn’t have a name, it isn’t in guidebooks and we’d never have found it had our best friend not taken us there. We’ve heard tales of other hush-hush beaches, but how to find them?

We’re counting on a new app called Our Malibu Beaches to lead the way. Its mission is to pull back the curtain (and misleading signage) that some Malibu residents have strived to maintain in order to keep the best surf to themselves. Since the 27 miles of Malibu coastline--like all of California’s waterside--are public property, we’ll have app and beach blanket in hand all summer long. (Whistling “This Land Is Your Land.”)

The app creators spent months combing city records to find these secret sands, but the GPS feature means you don’t have to spend any time pouring over dusty prints to find your clandestine retreat. It isn’t quite finished yet--its maker, Escape Apps (of the equally-useful hiking app), is currently funding it via a Kickstarter campaign. Anyone donating $100 by May 31 gets a personal tour of the Malibu coastline with app co-creator Jenny Price, an enthusiastic font of local lore.